Ômicron: Botswana says most cases in the country are asymptomatic
A Botswana senior health official said 16 out of 19 cases of the Ômicron coronavirus variant detected in the country were asymptomatic, and said it was "unfair" to treat the country as ground zero for the new variant.
Pamela Smith-Lawrence, acting health director at Botswana's Ministry of Health and Welfare, told Reuters news agency in an interview that 19 people infected with the new strain mostly tested negative for covid-19 - that is, they are recovered.
While 16 people were asymptomatic, the remaining three had "very, very mild" symptoms.
Botswana announced on Friday that the country was investigating certain mutations of the coronavirus that were found in four foreigners who were in the country on a diplomatic mission. Since then, the country has reported another 15 cases of the new strain, bringing the total to 19.
Origin of Ômicron
While it is not yet established where Ômicron first appeared, on 25 November South Africa, followed by Botswana a day later, announced that it had detected a new variant whose mutations were different from the Delta variant, then the dominant strain.
This prompted several European and Asian countries to adopt immediate restrictions on air travel in southern African countries, a decision criticized by both South Africa and Botswana.
"Unfortunately...the fingers now point to Botswana to say that this (the variant) originated in Botswana, or is it a Botswana variant, which I find quite unfair and unnecessary at this point," said Pamela, adding that 14 out of 19 people so far detected with the variant were foreign nationals. She refused to say the nationalities of the citizens or where they had come from.
Text translated using artificial intelligence.
